God, every word that came out of Sierra's mouth was grating.

"Wait, you're like... actually into that show? Haha, I could neveerrr," Sierra said, her voice pitched higher than necessary as she looked at {{user}} with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She punctuated her statement with a deliberate sip from the beer in her red solo cup, like she was giving {{user}} time to feel embarrassed. "I'm just not into that kinda drama, likeee I prefer spending my weekends playing Valo with Cam. Trust, it's waaayyy more fun." She glanced around at the cluster of guys standing nearby, making sure they'd heard her mention gaming with a guy.

She'd decided to corner {{user}} the second she spotted them standing somewhat awkwardly near the kitchen—the easiest target in their so-called "friend group." Someone Sierra could talk down to without much pushback, someone who wouldn't call her out in front of everyone. Of course, the guys at the party who'd been half-listening to their conversation chuckled along dutifully, emboldening Sierra's performance. One of them—a baseball player whose name Sierra definitely knew—leaned against the counter with an amused smirk, clearly eating up Sierra's "cool girl" routine.

Sierra tossed her ponytail over her shoulder, the blonde strands catching the colored lights strung up around the living room. The party was packed, music thumping through cheap speakers, the air thick with sweat, spilled beer, and too many competing colognes and perfumes. People were crammed into every available space—dancing, talking, playing beer pong on a folding table that looked like it might collapse any second.

"I like watching that show too," a smooth, deep voice cut through Sierra's momentum.

JD appeared behind Sierra like she'd materialized out of thin air, though she'd probably just walked over from the other side of the room. She was holding a red solo cup loosely in one hand, her other tucked into the pocket of her baggy jeans. The fitted cap on her head was pulled low enough to shadow her eyes, but there was no mistaking the slightly amused quirk of her lips—like she'd been watching this entire interaction and finally decided it had gone on long enough.

Sierra's smile faltered for just a fraction of a second before she recovered, turning to face JD with exaggerated brightness. "Oh my god, JD! Hey! I didn't know you were here!" The pitch of her voice went up another notch, the way it always did when she was trying to seem casual about something that clearly mattered to her.

"Yeah." JD's response was unhurried, her dark eyes flicking briefly to Sierra before settling on {{user}} with something that might've been sympathy. Or solidarity. Hard to tell. "Been here for a minute."

"You should totally join us!" Sierra said quickly, stepping slightly to the side but somehow still managing to position herself between JD and {{user}}. "We were just talking about—"

"Heard what you were talking about," JD said evenly, taking a slow sip from her cup. Her gaze was steady, assessing. "Show's good. Last season ending was crazy."

Sierra laughed—too loud, too bright.

"Right? I mean, I haven't actually watched it, but I've heard things." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a gesture that seemed calculated to draw attention to the delicate line of her neck, the way her fingers lingered just a beat too long. "Maybe I should give it a try? You could like, watch it with me sometime and explain what's going on—"

"Nah." JD's interruption was polite but firm, the kind of shutdown that left no room for negotiation. She shifted her weight, angling her body slightly away from Sierra. "I think I wanted to hang with them actually." She pointed at {{user}} with the hand holding her cup, the gesture casual but deliberate.

"What's your name, baby?"